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4 SheetsSheet 1. G. FORTH.

CASH REGISTER.

(No Model.)

Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

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(No Model.) 4 sheetssheet 3. G.PORTH. CASH REGISTER.

Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

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4 S11eets-sh 4 0.. FORTH. CASH REGISTER.

(No Model.)

No. 599,418. Patented Feb. 22,1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES FORTH, OF NEWVARK, NElV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THEODORE O. HAMMOND, OF SAME PLACE.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,418, dated February 22, 1898.

- Application filed August 14,1896. fierial No. 602,708. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FORTH, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New ark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oash-Registers,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cash-registers and its object is to provide an improved construction having all the advantages of cash-registers now in use and being at the same time simple and cheap in point of manufacture.

To these ends my invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and subsequently pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification and wherein similar parts are designated by the same numbers of reference in all the views, Figure 1 is a front view of my improved cash-register, a portion of the shell or casing being broken away. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the attached parts of the operating-lever being also shown therein. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same, taken on the broken sectional line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a detail view hereinafter to be referred to.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the casing or shell of the cash-register. 2 is the baseplate of the register proper, and 3 is the cashdrawer. These parts may be of any desired 3 5 construction.

Mounted on the base-plate 2 and in suitable bearings 4 is the rotatable vertical shaft 5, from which the compound or self adding tape is operated. This shaft 5 is actuated 7 from the lever 6, loose on said shaft and supported by the stationary ring 7 through suitable connections now to be described. Rigidly attached to shaft 5 is the clutch member 8, (see Fig. 4,) whose teeth are adapted to 5 engage with the teeth of clutch member 9 in such manner that a movement of the member 9 in one direction will cause the rotation of the shaft 5, whereas a movement of the member 9 in the opposite direction is without effect on said shaft. The upper clutch member 9, which is loose on shaft 5, is provided with the pins 10, designed to contact with the lever 6 in such manner that when the latter is operated the shaft 5 will be rotated through the clutch. It will be seen that the pins 10 are so positioned on clutch member 9 as to permit of a certain lost motion between the pins and lever, for a purpose hereinafter to be referred to. The spring 11, attached to the lever 6 and the stationary ring 7, returns the lever to its normal position when it is released.

The rock-shaft 12, journaled in suitable bearings on the lever 6, is provided with the flange 13, the flange 14, and the arm 15. The flange 14 rests upon and is designed to actuate the segment 16, attached to the upper end of the drawer-locking bolt 17, which is normally pressed upward by the spring 18. (See Fig. 4.) As the lever 6 is moved by the hand of the operator the flange 13 of the rockshaft 12 will contact with one or other of the pins 19, which are projected into its path in the manner soon to be described, and its further movement will cause the rocking of rock- 7 5 shaft 12 by reason of this contact until the lever 6 is stopped thereby. As the rock-shaft is turned the arm 15 is operated to ring the gong 20, and the flange 14 is operated to depress segment 16 and locking-bolt 17 against the pressure of spring 18, thereby unlocking the cash-drawer and permitting it to be automatically opened by the springs 21. After the lever 6 is returned to its normal position the cash-drawer may be closed and is automatically locked by the pressure of spring 18 on locking-bolt 17.

As before stated, I employ a self-adding or compound-registering device in the form of a graduated tape or ribbon 22. This tape 22 is 0 preferably of metal and is normally wound on a spool or bobbin 23, from which itis unwound onto a second spool or bobbin 24. These spools or bobbins are geared together by gears 25 and 26, as plainly shown in Fig. 3, in such man- 5 her that motion given to either spool is imparted to the other in the reverse direction. The screws 27 are provided to attach the gears 25 and 26 to their respective spools in such manner as to allow a sufficient frictional slip to compensate for the varying diameter of the tape on the spools. Motion is imparted to thetape 22 by the wheel 28, which is in the nature of a sprocket-wheel, and is provided with pins 29, which engage with the holes 30 in the tape 22. Detachably connected to the wheel 28 is the gear 31, which meshes with the gear 32, fast on shaft 5. It will be apparent that as and t0 the extent that the shaft 5 is moved similar motion will be imparted to the tape 22, which will be unwound from the spool 23 onto the spool 24 through the gearing and connections described.

To return now to the pins 19 and their aotuating devices, which constitute the means for imparting a varying throw to the lever 6 and a varying motion to the shaft 5, it will be noted that they are loosely seated in holes in the stationary ring 7 and that they are located in said ring at varying radial angles. This angular location on the ring determines the throw of the lever 6 as the pins are successively projected into its path, there being one pin for each key of the register and its position being regulated by the amount on the corresponding key and the consequent movement desired for the lever 6, shaft 5, and tape 22. Thus in the drawings, (see Fig. 2,) and ignoring for the present the No-sale pin and key, to effect the shortest throw of the lever the nearest pin, which corresponds to the key marked with the numeral 5, would be projected into its path, whereas to permit the longest throw of the lever the farthest pin, which corresponds to the key bearing the characters $5, would be projected into its path, and similarly for intermediate amounts. Thus it will follow that the graduated tape 22 will be moved to an extent corresponding to the amount indicated by the respectivekeys operated.

Each of the pins 19 rests upon and is actu-' ated by a lever 33. As I have shown them,

these levers 33 are divided into two groups and are suitably pivoted at opposite sides of the machine on rods 34. Each of the levers 33 is provided with an arm 35, which rests upon the inner end of the key-lever 36, and it will be obvious that when any particular key is struck the corresponding pin will, through the connections described, be projected into the path of the lever 6.

Each of the keys 36 is formed with a bevel 37 and a retaining-notch 38, and immediately below the bank of keys is located a retaining blade or leaf 39, which is normally pressed upward by springs 40. The weight of the lever 33 and pins 19, acting on the inner ends of the key-levers 36, will tend to keep the keylevers normally in horizontal position'th at is to say, with the numerals on said keys not without the employment of additional or auxiliary indicating mechanism. It will be noted, too, that the depressed key will continue in its exposed position until a second key is operated, which, acting by its bevel 37 on the locking-blade 39, will free the first key and permit it to be returned to its horizontal position, the second key in turn being locked in its depressed position until a third key is operated, and so on continuously.

' As before stated, I have also provided a single or simple adding mechanism to record the number of times any individual key is operated. This mechanism consists, primarily, of

a series of disks or wheels 41, one for each of the keys (or such of them as is deemed necessary) and actuated therefrom. These disks or wheels 41 are preferably arranged one above the other and are formed as ratchet-wheels. (See particularly Fig. 3 Each of these ratchet-wheels 41 is actuated by a sliding pawl-bar 42, provided with an arm or shoulder 43, arranged to be struck and moved by the second beveled portion 44 of its corresponding key-lever. It will thus be seen that when any key is operated, in addition to the other functions described, it Will act, by rea son of its bevel 44 contacting with the shoulder 43 of the sliding pawl-bar 42, to turn the indicating-wheel 41 through the space of one tooth. Consequently the number of times any individual key has been operated may be seen at a glance with the aid of the index-finger 45. Diagonallyplaced springs 46, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 3, are employed to return the sliding pawl-bars to their normal poindependent of the compound-registering tape or ribbon. In other words, assuming that the tape or ribbon is set periodically at the zero-point, which is accomplished by entirely rewinding it on the spool 23, this may .be done without affecting the wheel47, which continues to record the gross amounts registered by the tape in addition to the amounts previously recorded thereby. This wheel 47 is. in the form of a pin-gear and is actuated by the pin, 48 on the gear 31. Thus each rotation of the gear 31, which moves with the tape-drivingwheel 28, will effect a partial rotation of the indicating-wheel 47.

As before stated, the gear 31 is normally attached to and moves with the tape-actuating wheel 28; but for convenience it is desirable that the parts should be detachably connected. To effect this, I employ a detaching device. (Best shown in Fig. 5.) It will be seen that the gear 31 is provided with a flange 281, over the hollow journal of which the journal of the wheel 28 is placed. A binding-screw 481 is provided on the journal, of gear 31, which when set up compels the wheel IIO 2S and gear 31 to rotate in unison, but when loosed permits the wheel and gear to rotate independently. Thus when it is desired to reset the tape the binding-screw 481 is loosed, and the tape may be moved by hand, so as to rewind it on spool 23 without affecting either the gearing to the shaft 5 or the position of the indicating-wheel 47.

I have provided a pointer or index 49,Which always indicates the amount of purchases on the tape 22 and a pointer or index 50 to similarly indicate the gross amount recorded by the wheel 4.7. A door 51, provided with a lock 52, gives access to the interior of the register for the purpose of setting the parts or observing the records on the various indicators.

I have also provided a No sale key,which permits of the opening of the cash-drawer without aifecting the other mechanism. As shown in the drawings, this key is attached by its lever 33 to the first pin 19 in the path of the lever 6. This pin is so located that when projected into the path of the lever 6 as the latter is operated it will act on the flange 13 of rock-shaft 12 and operate the arm 15 to ring the gong and the flange let to open the cash-drawer and stop the movement of lever 6 before it contacts with the pins 10 on the clutch member 9 to operate the shaft 5. As before described, a certain amount of motion between the lever and pins is arranged for to permit of the operation just described.

The operation of the parts will now be readily understood. Assuming that it is desired to record a purchase of forty cents, the operator depresses the key marked with the numeral t0 until it contacts With and is locked by the spring-pressed blade 39. The movement of the key also actuates the singleadding disk corresponding thereto, turning it the distance of one tooth through the agency of the sliding pawl 42. A further effect of this depression of the key-lever is the elevation of its appropriate pin 19 through the instrumentality of the intermediate lever 33. The lever 6 is then manually operated until it is arrested by the pin 19, the effect of this action being the rotation of rock-shaft 12 and the consequent ringing of the gong and opening of the cash-drawer, as Well as the turning of shaft 5 through the clutch and the recording of the numeral 10 on the graduated tape 22. As before described, the supplemental wheel 47 would be also moved one notch at each complete rotation of the tapewheel 28. NVhen the lever 6 is released, the spring 11 returns it to its normal position ready for a fresh operation and the rock-shaft 12 is returned by the pressure of the spring 18. In the meantime the key is retained in its lowermost position with the numeral 4O in full view. When a second key is depressed, the first is released, the weight of pin 19 and lever 33 returning pin, key, and lever to their normal positions and leaving everything in readiness for a new series of operations, as described.

While I have herein shown and described my preferred form of construction,it will be readily apparent that various features may be varied or altered without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not desire to be limited to the specific features and devices thus set forth.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a cash-register, the combination with a plurality of key-levers arranged in a horizontal plane and each having on its outer end a horizontal finger-piece bearing an indicating-numeral, said key when operated assuming a posit-ion directly at right angles to its former position, whereby its indicating-numeral is arranged vertically and indicates to the purchaser the amount of the purchase without the use of separate indicating-tablets, each of said swinging keys having a catch, and a latch-bar in the path of all the catches adapted to look all of said keys in their depressed position, and to release any locked key when in the act of locking any subsequently-depressed key; substantially as described.

2. In a cash-register, the combination with the swinging keys, each having a beveled projection or catch, of a, latch-bar in the path of all of the catches, a sliding rod in the path of every individual catch and a graduated wheel for every rod and moved in a single graduation thereby every time the rod is actuated from its key, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the keys having projections, of a series of sliding rods, one for every key, and having arms in the paths of said projections, and a series of graduated, toothed wheels one engaged by every rod and moved a single graduation thereby every time the corresponding key is operated, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the vertical main shaft and the registering device actuated therefrom, of a horizontally-swinging handle turning loosely on the upper end of the shaft, a clutch mechanism connecting the handle and shaft for operating the latter in one direction, a series of vertical pins below the path of the lever, a series of keys bearing numerals to indicate the amount of the purchase to the purchaser; each of said keys being adapted to operate an individual pin and raise it into the path of said handle and permit a variable throw thereof so as to actuate the shaft according to the amount to be registered, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the vertical main shaft and the registering device actuated therefrom according to the extent of rotation, a horizontally-swinging handle loose on the upper end of the shaft and clutched thereto to rotate the shaft in one direction, of a series of horizontal pivoted keys bearing numerals to indicate the amount of the purchase to the purchaser, when swung downinto vertical position, a latching mechanism, to hold the keys depressed, levers engaged by the inner ends of the keys, vertically-movable pins engaged" by said levers and moved individually thereby up into the path of the horizontal handle upon depressing the corresponding key, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the casinghaving.

a series of vertical slots in its front and a series of pivoted levers projectinghorizontally therethrough' and bearing finger-pieces having indicating-numerals exposed to the purchaser, in lieu of separate indicators, when the keys are depressed, vertically-sliding pins projected upwardly when the keys are depressed and means for locking the keys depressed, of a'vertical main shaft having a loose horizontally-swinging handle clutched to its upper end and projectingout through the casing above the keys; the variable throw: of the handle being limited by whichever pinis raised, a tape-wheel geared to the lower portion of the main shaft, a graduated adding:

and registering tape passed around thesaid wheel, a let-out and atake-up spool to which the respective ends of the tape are secured, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the main shaft provided with a gear-Wheel and havinginechanism for rotating it variable distances according to the key values, of a tape-operatin g wheel actuated from said-gear-wheel, an adding and registering tape passed around said tape -wheel, spools to which therespective ends of the tape are secured, and gear-wheels connecting said two spools and having a frictional slip to compensate for the varying diameter of the tape on the spools, substantially as described.

8. The combination with the vertical main shaft having a horizontally-swinging handle clutched thereto to operate it variably in one direction, and a key mechanism controlling the throw of said handle, of a tape-operating wheel geared to the lower portion of the main shaft, an adding and registering tape passed around said wheel, spools to which the ends of the tape are secured, and a graduated registering-wheel operated once at every revolution of the tape-operatin g wheel, substantially as described.

9. The combination with themain shaft, a gear-wheel geared to the main shaft having a pin, and a toothed registering-wheel in the path of the pin, to be moved thereby a single tooth at every revolution of the gear-wheel, of the tape-operating wheel mounted loosely on the hub of the said gear-wheel, and means for securing the tape-operating wheel and gear-Wheel together for simultaneous operation, substantially as described.

10. The registering tape or ribbon, a shaft and connections to actuate the tape or ribbon, combined with a handle loose on said shaft, connections from said handle to unlock and open the cash-drawer, and connections from said handle to said shaft including a lostmotion device to permit of unlocking and opening the cash-drawer without operating the shaft.

11. The combination with the main shaft and its variably-controlled operating-n1ech anism, of a gear-wheel geared to the lower end of said shaft and provided with apin and a flanged hub having a nut, a tape-operating wheel on said hub and clamped to the flange by the said nut, the adding and registering tape passed around the tape-operatin g wheel, and the toothed registering-wheel in the path of said pin androtated thereby once-at every revolution of said tape-operating wheel, substantially as described.

12. Thecompound-registeringorcombinedadding tape or ribbon, a shaft and connections from said shaft to actuate said tape or ribbon, combined with a handle and connec tions to actuate said shaft, a rock-shaft on said handle and means therefrom to open the cash-drawer, and means to rock the rock-shaft and to check the movement of the handle.

13. The combination with the vertical main shaft, a handle for rotating the shaft in one direction, a tape-operating wheel geared to the lower end of said shaft and the registering and adding tape passed around said tapeoperating wheel, of a series of vertically-sliding pins to'variably limit the throw of the handle, and the bank of keys, one for each pin, and adapted to throw the pins into the path of the handle when depressed, substantially as described. L1. The compound-registering or combinedadding tape or ribbon, a handle and suitable connections to operate said tape or ribbon, a

key-lever and a pin actuated by said key-lever, combined with a single-adding device also actuated from said key-lever, whereby a single action of the key-lever simultaneously actuates the single-adding device and projects the pin into the path of the handle.

15. A cash-register, comprising the casing, the vertical main shaft provided with a horizontally-swinging handle clutched thereto, a bankof pivoted purchase-indicatin g keys projecting through the casing, mechanism for latching the keys when depressed, a register for every key to register the number of times it has been operated, a tape-operating wheel geared to the lower end of the main shaft, an adding and registering tape passed around said tape-operating wheel, drums to which the ends of the tape are secured and a registering-wheel actuated from the tape-operatin g wheel a single graduation at every revolution thereof, substantially as described.

16. A cash-register, comprising a casing, a vertical main shaft, a horizontally-swinging handle clutched to the upper end of said shaft to turn it in one direction, a drawer-releasing mechanism connected with the handle, a bank of keys, projecting through the casing and bearing numerals, a series of vertical pins projected by the depression of the keys into the path of the handle to limit and vary its throw, a tape-operating wheel geared to the IO one of said flanges, a bank of keys and pins actuated therefrom into the path of the other rock-shaft flange for the purposes stated.

Signed at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, this 12th day of August, A. D. 1896.

CHARLES FORTH.

Witnesses:

HENRY L. HUMPHREY, HUGH KINNARD. 

